Midnight of the Soul

Author: Mother CHOW Goddess

Rating: T for swearing, mention of violence, abuse, and attempted rape; Shonen-Ai; SKx RB

Summary & Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter Two: Morning's Light

I know where I am. The echoing chamber, impossibly huge with its equally impossible ring-pool of molten lava -- what the hell was the moron who wrote this program thinking? And what the hell am I doing here in the first -- sorry, second -- place?This scenario was scrapped from the game almost as soon as I was back on my feet, right after I fired the bonkotsu Five.

Of course, last time I was here (in a manner of speaking) I was shackled to one of the Stones of Sacrifice trying to shut down the game by arguing with the Witty Phantom. The perspective is a little different from where I'm standing now, but the details are pretty much the same. Reddish light reflecting off the walls from the Lava Pit of Redemption -- what an incredibly lame plot device! And who thought up THAT name?-- the T-shaped slabs of virtual granite looming darkly on the crest of the dais, the limp unconscious form dangling from one set of chains...

What the HELL... Mokuba? God, no...

Panic sends me scrambling upwards over jagged pieces of broken masonry even as a small voice in the back of my mind tries to remind me that this isn't real, this isn't how the game plays out, this isn't the way it happened. A sudden flare from the pit further illumines the scene and I stop in my tracks.

Not Mokuba.

Bakura.

...why? Never mind, ask questions later. If this really is theLegendary Heroes game, then my mere presence should trigger the appearance of either the Witty Phantom or that damned Mythic Dragon, it doesn't matter, I've got to get Bakura off that stone, it's my fault he's there.

He's bleeding... the wounds on his chest are dripping red, but that's not the worst of it. That burn, the one that looks like a triangle inside a circle, is glowing purple-black. Which makes no sense at all, but I somehow know that this is seriously not good, I have to get him out of those manacles NOW. So I reach up without the slightest notion of how I'm going to get them open, and suddenly Bakura just falls into my arms and I stumble back slightly and oh dear God I think he's dead because he's not breathing and someone just stabbed me through the gut with a firehot poker...

Please...

"Poor Kaiba-boy," a voice sneers from behind me and I stiffen in shock. "Too little, too late... again."

This isn't real, my mind screams at me, that's not Pegasus, don't answer, don't acknowledge him...

"You failed, boy. "

No! Not him, too. He's DEAD... how many times do I have to kill you, old man?

"Why, niisama? He's my friend!"

I don't know, Mokuba, I'm sorry...

"Kaiba! What have you DONE?"

Yuugi? No, the other Yuugi, the one who faced me across the Battle Tower, eyes blazing as he shattered my dreams of victory and redemption as surely as he'd shattered my mind and heart earlier... Other Yuugi, help him, please... I can't even look at him as I hold Bakura's lifeless body, my hands stained black with his blood.

Wait. Black? That's not right.

Ryou...

With a gasp I'm awake again. Ryou. His name is Ryou. And for some reason, my suddenly remembering Bakura's given name is even more important than the fact that I'm sitting upright in Mokuba's bed with sunlight streaming in through the eastern windows and the clock in the hall is chiming -- what time is it? There's a note on the nightstand --

Seto, I told them to let you sleep 'cause you were so restless last night. Isono is taking me to school so don't worry about that. See you this afternoon and DON'T even THINK of going to work today. I mean it. M.

The choked laugh that spills out of my throat sounds more like a sob to my ears. Oh Moku-chan, how did I ever deserve a little brother like you? How can you still look up to me and care after everything I've been and done? A few deep breaths and I manage to pull myself together again. It's nearly 9:30 already and for a moment I consider ignoring my brother's orders and heading for the office to salvage at least part of the day. But Mokuba has ways of extracting retribution that make Pegasus look like a teddy bear...

Pegasus. I shudder a bit, the last bits of my nightmare replaying in my head. I need a shower, badly, if only as a symbolic cleansing of my body despite however deeply stained my soul may be. I almost expect to see diluted streams of blood swirling down the drain with the suds, but of course that's nonsense. So I close my eyes and bow my head under the jets as if the pulsing water can somehow pound a semblance of sanity into my brain.

If only it were that easy. Neither my mind nor my body are ready to let go of yesterday; I ache in muscles I'd nearly forgotten I own. Damn, who knew that quiet, mild-mannered Bakura packed such a punch? I'd expect it from the Mutt or what's his name, his sidekick -- no, I wouldn't, I realize. They'd have come in swinging from the start; whereas, other than the leg-sweep that landed me on my ass and sent my temper ballistic, Bakura's moves had been strictly defensive. Deflective. Even after I had him pinned ---

I groan and barely resist bashing my head against the shower wall. What the hell had I been thinking? Was I even thinking? Stupid question, obvious answer. I wasn't. At least, not with my brain. That was why I'd been tearing up the road on my Blue-Eyes in the first place, to keep from tearing a few brainless heads from their suit-encased necks...I'd been hair-triggered, and unfortunately, Bakura had tripped me. Figuratively and literally. Wrong place and definitely bad timing. Entirely wrong gender...

K'so! I do NOT need these kinds of thoughts right now! I reach down and savagely twist the temperature control to its coldest, most powerful setting and bite back a yelp of shock as liquid ice hits my skin. I need cold, icy reason so I can determine exactly what happened yesterday and why; so I can make certain that it never happens again.

Or if it does, so that no other innocents get hurt in the fall-out.

By the time I'm dried off, dressed and stalking down the hall to the mansion's library, it's obvious that the storm warnings have already gone out: 'Master Kaiba's in a mood -- take cover!' Fortunately for myself and for Mokuba, most of the house staff have learned not to take my growled threats of dismissal too seriously except in instances of flagrant dishonesty and continued incompetence. Quiet, unobtrusive efficiency, on the other hand is always (if not obviously) appreciated. It's far too late in the morning for breakfast, but there's a large thermos of coffee and a bento box with scrambled eggs over rice and herbs on my desk, even though my still being home at this hour has thrown off the household's daily routine; and I make a mental note to do something nice for our cook sometime soon.

A quick call to Kaiba Corp. confirms the extent of my little brother's meddling. Apparently he's told the 'need-to-knows' that I've been ordered to stay home today due to a possible concussion from my motorcycle wipe-out! Conniving little brat... The fond smile I feel on my face suddenly freezes. Could it be that simple? A concussion? Even Bakura suggested that possibility during the early stages of our encounter...

Tempting thought. But no. I might not have been in my right mind yesterday afternoon, but I doubt I can assign the blame to a head injury, or excuse my actions by claiming I didn't know what I was doing.

Damn.

Well, Mokuba may have forbidden me from going to work, but I can still bring work to me...

(tbc)

Revised Author's Notes: Again, edited for spelling consistancy and to take into account certain details that differ between the original Japanese version and the 4Kids dub. As previously noted, I'm perfectly willing to bounce my interpretation back and forth from manga to J-anime to dub and back in the interests of telling a good story. To quote Emerson: "A foolish consistancy is the hobgoblin of small minds." (see Dr. Erickson? I was paying attention in American Lit class all those years ago!)

Author's Note: If the tone of this chapter seems different from the first one, consider it the difference between the dark of night and the light of day. Despite his nightmares, Kaiba did finally get some rest and he's heading straight back into denial -- or at least trying to. Heh heh heh... Everyone, feel free to drool over mental image of Seto in the Shower (Snerk!). I was not entirely happy with the way chapter one turned out; I honestly felt it was a bit rushed and incomplete, and you reviewers, bless you, seemed to pick up on that as well.

Thanks to: AmunRa (my idol! - well, one of them, anyway), Ciu Sune, Relinquished, The Summer Stars, Caleyndar (who graciously continues to ignore my misspelling of her name!) and Kekewey -- my wonderful 'Midnight' reviewers! Um, Kekewey, that dream with the cards and scales in chapt. 1? I was actually trying to imply that Kaiba was picking up mystical vibes from Ryou's little midnight ritual in 'Breaking Strain', that he's the one about to get judged... oh well. I completely forgot about Death-T (D'oh!), and I suspect Seto would like to forget about it too...fat chance, boyo! When he least expects it...

Thanks also to Nenya85, (who hasn't reviewed here, and I would be deliriously happy if she did, she is AWESOME), because it while I was reviewing her latest chapter of "Déjà Vu" that Seto's mindset for the rest of 'Midnight' suddenly solidified... Go read!

MCG